Lagos: Africa is increasingly viewing space as a means to address pressing local challenges, utilizing satellite data to tackle issues such as connectivity, flooding, and agricultural productivity.
According to Deutsche Welle, African countries played a vital role in the Apollo moon missions of the 1960s, hosting crucial infrastructure necessary for the missions’ success. Yet, Africa’s contributions were largely unrecognized at the time. Now, the continent is harnessing space technology not to explore celestial bodies like the Moon or Mars, but to solve terrestrial problems through satellite technology.
Olugbenga Olumodimu, a space program manager at the University of Portsmouth, highlights that African space science is unique due to its specific needs related to the equatorial region. Standard European satellite programs often do not cater to these needs, prompting Africa to adopt different instruments and methodologies to collect relevant data. This tailored approach also applies to understanding the impact of solar storms, which pose different threats in Africa compared to other regions.
There are plans for a collaborative satellite project to measure space-weather effects across various latitudes simultaneously. Such data will enable a more comprehensive understanding of global space weather phenomena. South Africa’s military, for instance, shares solar weather data with the European Space Agency, which helps in providing global services crucial for the protection of satellites and other space assets.
The longstanding collaboration between Europe and Africa in space projects was reinforced with a new Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme announced in January 2025, valued at £100 million ($117 million). This partnership has intensified over the past few years, driven by developments on both continents and geopolitical factors.
The inauguration of the Africa Space Agency (AfSA) in April 2025 in Cairo represents a new chapter for African space endeavors. AfSA aims to unify African countries, pooling resources and knowledge to foster cooperation. Olumodimu notes the distinction between “spacefaring” and “space-aspiring” nations, observing that even countries with nascent space programs are contributing to the continent’s growing space capabilities.
Egypt hosts AfSA and is poised to lead Africa’s space ambitions, bolstered by strategic partnerships, including one with China, which constructed the AfSA site. This collaboration underscores the geopolitical dynamics at play, as China gains influence in Africa through its investment in space infrastructure.
The future of AfSA is promising yet uncertain, with its success contingent on continued collaboration and support from international partners like China. As African nations work together under AfSA’s umbrella, they aim to advance their space technology capabilities and address the continent’s unique challenges.